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Youk a bright spot in Yanks' forgettable tilt

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- There were not many bright spots to be had in a day that the Yankees will probably quickly forget, but Kevin Youkilis provided something to be encouraged about.

Youkilis belted a long solo home run off Blue Jays right-hander Josh Johnson and later legged out a fifth-inning triple in New York's 17-5 Grapefruit League loss on Thursday.

"He's starting to swing the bat good and has driven a lot of balls the last couple of days, and that's what we want to see," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Youkilis started slowly this spring after first trying the pinstripes on for size, but has appeared to settle in as the games peel off toward Opening Day. Youkilis played first base on Thursday against Toronto, but Girardi said the Yankees haven't decided which infield corner he will play more regularly when the season begins.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.